Amusement apparatus.



J. W. HAMMETT. AMUSEMENT APIAARATUS.

APPLIOATION TILED MAY 24, 1910.

WITNESSES JAMES W. BARNETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEMENT APIPARATUB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed Kay 24, 1910. Serial No. 588,072.

To all whom it may concern:

Itc it known that I, JAMES W. HAMME'I'I, a citizen of the United States, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement A pa'ratus, of which the following is a s eei cation, such as will enable those skil ed in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus, and the object thereof is to provide an improved apparatus of this class which is particularly designed for use at public resorts or places of recreation, and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in an apparatus of the class specified constructed and operating as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of my improved amusement apparatus with part of the construction in section, and ;-Fig. 2 a front view taken from a position designated by the line 22 of Fi 1.

In the practice of my invention I provide a suitable frame work or structure a having a forwardly and downwardly inclined chute 1) preferably provided with side rails or retaining strips 5 and at the front lower end of which is a suitable casing or structure 0, the front wall 0 of which is designed to serve as a target and is provided with apertures 0r openings 0 which, as shown in Fig. 2, are three in number, but one or more of which may be employed.

The apertures 0 communicate with a chamber a in the casing c, the bottom a of which is hopper-shaped in form and rovided with a discharge aperture 0, an .secured to and insulated from the rear side of the hopper-shaped bottom a as shown at 0 is an arm 0 to which is pivoted a weighted contact member (I having a forwardly directed arm d which is normally supported as shown in Fig. 1 directly under the discharge aperture (1 of the hopper-shaped bottom 0 of the chamber 0.

Secured to the bottom "of the rear wall of the chamber 0 or to any other suitable support and insulated therefrom as shown at e [S a contact member f having a downwardl directed extension f", and in connection wit which the contact member (2 operates.

Pivoted to the top back portion of the chute b, or the support thereof as shown at g, is a support or seat It, having a backwardly directed extension 71. provided centrally of the l)()tt0ll1,tll010f with a backwardly directed hook it, and the backwardly directed extension h is preferably provided with an arm or finger memberJz.

on which is placed an adjustable wei ht h.

A bracket 2' 18 secured to or connecte with the back of the frame a below the top thereof, in the form of construction shown, and mounted thereon, or connected therewith, are retaining devices adapted to engage the support it and normall hold it in a horizontal position, and o the followin construction. Pivoted to the bracket 2 at i is a vertically arranged arm a", the top of which is provided with a hook or nose member z" adapted to engage the hook h, and the arm i is rovided with a forwardl directed extension 2" between which an the support; of the seat h at g is secured an electromagnet j, and the forwardly directed extension 2' of the arm i serves as an armature for the magnet j, and connected with said armature is a spring j which normally holds said armature in a depressed position as shown in Fig. 1, in WlllCh position the nose or hook member 2" of the arm i engages the hook h as clearly shown in said figure. I also provide a battery or other electric supply device is which may be placed in the bottom portion of the frame or support a or at any other suitable point and connected with said battery is a wire at which is connected with the magnet j at m. Another wire a is connected with the battery 5: and with the contact member d at n, and another wire 0 is connected with the contact member 1 at o and with the magnet j at 0, and placed in the circuit thus formed is an electric bell p, said bell being preferably located adjacent to or in the casing c and being connected in the form of construction shown with the wire n. My improved apparatus, as shown, also involves a tank 1' which is placed below and in front of the lower end of the chute b and filled or partially filled with water as shown at 1' and at a predetermined point adjacent to the tank 1' is preferably placed a table or support a on which in practice is placed a number of balls 2,.

In practice a figure u representing a person or other object is placed on the seat It as shown in Fig. 1, and the balls t are thrown at the aperture or apertures 0 in the front of the casing c. If a ball enters one of said apertures or passes therethrough into the chamber 0* it falls down through the aperture 0 in the bottom a of said chamber and strikes the forwardly directed part (Z of the contact member (I? and. said member is thrown into contact with the part f of the contact member f. This completes a circuit through the wires m, n, u and the magnet y, and said magnet is operated, and the forwardly directed extension i of the arm 2' is drawn upwardly, and the connection between the said arm 2' and the hook 71,3 is broken and the seat h drops into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the figure 14 passes rapidly down over the chute b and falls into the tank 1'. 'The figure a may be a real person if desired and means may be provided to enable such person to climb to said seat, and it will be understood that my improved amusement apparatus may be made on any desired scale and of any preferred dimensions as to height or otherwise. After the seat It has dropped into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the figure it moved clownwardly over the chute b as above described, the weight swings said seat back into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, in which position the hook k is engaged by the arm i and the. parts of the apparatus are again in position for operation, it being understood that the operation of the contact member (I? is also automatic, said member dropping back into the position shown in Fig. 1 automatically, at the time the seat h is operated as herein described. The bottom front wall 0 of the casing 0 is provided with an opening a through which the balls t which pass into the chamber 0 may be removed and means may be provided if desired whereby said balls will automatically roll out through said opening.

My invention is not limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described and various changes therein and modifications thereof may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages; and my invention is also not limited to the size of the balls 25 or the throwing thereof by hand as herein described, as said balls may be of any size and may be discharged or fired into the casing c in any desired manner and operate to close an open circuit, the closing or op- .eration of which will 0 crate the seat h. ,It willalso be'observed tllat at each operation of-the seat" /1, as hcreinbefore described the bell '12 will also be operated but my invention is not limited to the use of this bell and the same may or may not be employed.

Although I have described the part la. as a seat it will be understood that the said part need not necessarily serve asa seat and a. pivotal support of any kind or class may son or object may be discharged or fall into the chute b, my invention is not limited to the details of the mechanism herein described for operating the retaining devices which engage and hold the support it in a horizontal position and which are operated by a ball discharged and thrown from a position in front of the apparatus, and various changes in and modifications of these features of construction as herein shown and described may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame provided with a downwardly inclined chute, a support pivoted at the top of said chute, devices normally and detachably engaging said support and holding it in a horizontal position, and means whereby a ball thrown or discharged toward said frame from a position in front thereof and hitting a particular part will release said support and allow it to drop into a downwardly inclined position.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame provided with a downwardly inclined chute, at the lower end of which is a casing, the front of which is provided with an aperture, a support pivoted at the top of said chute,'devices for normally holding said support in a horizontal position, and an electromagnet adapted to operate said devices to release said support and allow it to drop into an inclined position, said electromagnet being in an open circuit and means whereby a ball discharged into said casing through said aperture will close said circuit.

3. In a apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame provided with a downwardly inclined chute, at the lower end of which is a casing, the front of which is provided with an aperture, a support pivoted holding said support in a horizontal position, and an electromagnet adapted to operate said devices to release said support and allow it to drop into an inclined position, said electromagnet being iii an open circuit and means whereby a ball discharged into at the top of said chute, devices for normally be employed and from which a figure, perher said casing through said aperture will close said circuit, and an electric bell placed in said circuit.

4. In an ap aratus of the class described, a supporting rame provided with a downwar 1y inclined chute, a casing placed under the lower end of said chute and provided in the front wall thereof with an aperture or apertures, said casing bein provided with a chamber with which sa1d aperture or a ertures communicate and said chameing provided with a hopper-shaped bottom having a discharge orifice, a support pivoted at the top of said chute, devices for normally holding said support in a horizontal posit-ion and an electromagnet adapted to operate said devices to release said support and allow it to drop into an inclined position, said electromagnet being in an open circuit, and means whereby a ball-discharged into said chamber through one of said apertures will close said circuit.

5. In an ap aratus of the class described, a su portin ame provided with a. downwar 1 1 inclmed chute, a water tank in front of an below the lower end of said chute, a

ivoted support at the top of said chute.

evices for holding said support in a horizontal position, and means for releasing,

said devices and allowing said support to drop into an inclined position, said means being adapted to be operated by a ball discharged toward the front of said apparatus, and itting a particular part.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame provlded with a downwardly inclined chute, a support ivoted at the top of said chute, retaining evices normally engaging said support and holding it in a horizontal position, a target device and means for releasing said retaining devices and allowing said support to drop into a downwardly inclined position.

7. In an apparatus of the class described,

a frame provided with a downwardly inclined chute, a support ivoted at the top of said chute, retaining evices normally engaging said support and holding it in a orizontal position, a target device at the bottom of said frame, a tank at the bottom of said chute, and means for releasing said retainin devices and allowin said support to drop Into a downwardly in ined position.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame provided with a downwardly inclined chute, a support pivoted at the top of said chute, retaining devices normally engaging said support and holding it in a horizontal position, a target device at the bottom of said frame, a tank at the bottom of said chute, and means for releasing said retaining devices and allowin said support to drop into a downwardl inc ined position, when a ball is discharged or thrown at said target device and hits the same.

9. In an ap aratus of the class described, a frame provided with a downwardly inclined chute, a support ivoted at the top of said chute, retainmg evices normally engaging said support and holdi 1t in a horizontal position, a casing at t e bottom of said chute and the front of which 1s adapted to serve as a tar et, said casing being adapted to receive a all d1scharged or thrown thereat, and devices in operative connection with said retaining devices and adapted to operate the same to release sa1d support and allow it to drop into a downwardly inclined position when sa1d ball hits said target.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name n presence of the subscribing witnesses this 23rd day of May 1910.

JAMES W. HAMMETT. Witnesses:

C. E. MULBEANY, B. M. Rrnnson. 

